Controlling Distance for the Chip and Pitch

Distance control on short shots is largely controlled by the club head speed, which in turn is influenced mostly by the length of the backswing. The longer the backswing the more the potential for greater club head speed and more distance. Vary the backswing length to see the difference it makes in the distance the ball travels. Strive for a consistent, accelerating but smooth pace.

A good routine to use to build solid results for your game is as follows:

Survey - check the lie, the terrain, the conditions·

Visualize - see the shot and the result

Rehearse - make practice swings or rehearse mentally, or do both, until the correct feel is established·

Execute - produce the swing, that was rehearsed

Evaluate - if the shot was good, put it in your memory bank, if bad, and make correct practice swings.